After a 2020 hiatus caused by the pandemic, the Latah County Fair returns to Moscow today with rides, fried food, livestock events and free live entertainment, including Oregon-based Master Magician Adam the Great.

Fair Director Jim Logan said the fair, which is free to attend, will include more than 45 hours of live entertainment, around 14 food vendors and more than a dozen rides — some of which will be new to Moscow.

In light of a recent spike in new COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, Logan said organizers have taken a number of steps to minimize the risk to fair patrons.

“We reduced our number of vendors and reduced their staffing requirement so they don’t have to be in their booths, especially indoors, (and) we’re highly encouraging masks and providing masks while supply lasts for indoor spaces,” Logan said. “We have tripled our number of hand washing and hand sanitizing stations with the help of Gritman (Medical Center) and we have asked all exhibitors if they are sick to stay home.”

On Wednesday, the Latah County Fairgrounds was busy with activity. Food and beverage vendors busied themselves preparing booths promising fried food, cotton candy and other fair confections, carnival rides were being unloaded and assembled near the Palouse Ice Rink and livestock projects could be seen, heard — and smelled — as participants shepherded animals to their pens.

The theme for this year’s fair is “Lights, Camera … Agriculture!” and shines a spotlight on a centerpiece of the event, the livestock exhibitions put on by regional 4-H’ers and members of the National FFA Organization.

When last year’s fair was mostly canceled because of the pandemic, Logan said organizers worked hard to make sure a private livestock exhibition and online auction could go on as planned.

“For large livestock exhibitors, this is a year-long program and year-round program, so to not be able to let them complete their projects would have been a huge disservice to those 4-H and FFA members,” Logan said. “That’s why we’re able to do a private livestock weekend and online auction.”

Logan said exhibitors who must stay home because they are sick can work with their 4-H and FFA leaders to make arrangements to have their livestock projects shown in their absence.

Gayla Tweedy, a 4-H leader with the Cow Creek Kids 4-H group out of Genesee, said it makes sense for a fair located on the Palouse to be centered around agriculture. She said not only is it appropriate for a region defined in part by rolling hills of wheat and other crops, but raising livestock can teach children valuable life lessons.

“It just grows great leaders,” Tweedy said. “(It comes with) responsibilities and it teaches them at a very young age that they’ve got things greater than them to take care of.”

Logan said the livestock auction typically generates more than $400,000 for participants and a huge percentage of that is due to what he called “add-on support.”

“If you don’t want to buy a whole animal, and just want to give a certain kid that you know — or just some random kid — $50 (or) $100 and just say, ‘Congratulations, here’s some support,’ that’s what’s being accepted online.”

While the auction will be conducted face-to-face, Logan said people can send add-on support either in person or virtually.

Those wishing to register as a buyer or contribute add-on support can find details about how to participate at latahcountyfair.com/p/fair/sale. The Latah County Fair is open 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For a complete list of fair events and attractions, go to latahcountyfair.com/p/fair.

Jackson can be reached by email to sjackson@dnews.com.